QSR1854/1/5/23-24

Depositions of Joshua William Beard, miller of Hawnes, Joseph Simms, victualler of Hawnes, PC James Worsley of Clophill and PC William Hillyard. In the case of George Keens & Joseph Roberts accused of stealing a sack of flour.

11 December 1853

From: 1853 To: 1854

Joseph Simms: keeper of the Greyhound Inn in Haynes. He knew both of the prisoners well. On 10 December the prisoner came to his house and remained drinking together until 12 o’clock. They had 2 pints of beer for which the prisoner Roberts paid. About 12 o’clock they left with several others and he saw no more of them. His house was about 400 or 500 yards from the mill of the prosecutor. Joshua William Beard: a miller living in Hawnes. On Saturday 10 December about 11.30pm he left the mill in the normal way, locked up and safe. It was a windmill. On the Monday morning he went into the mill. The sack of flour he had left on the dressing machine on Saturday had gone. He asked his son if he had removed it and he replied he had not. The weight placed on the trap doors had been removed and it was obvious to him the sack of flour had been taken through the trap door into the round house. He found some flour spilt under the trap door. He found the door that fastened on the inside unbolted but shut. He traced floury footmarks from the mill in the direction of the house of the prisoner Keens. Keens lived about a quarter of a mile from the mill and Roberts lived in another direction. He followed the flour marks in a direction which would lead to both of the prisoners houses. He could not tell how many people had made the step marks. He went home and sent a note to the police with his son. The prisoner Roberts had been in his employment about 12 months previous for about 9 months. Roberts had been acquainted with the mill machinery. He was happy that it would have been a person conversant with the premises who had stolen the flour. He believed the flour produced in the 2 smaller sacks to be his property. The flour produced in a larger sack was mixed flour which he knew nothing about. PC James Worsley: on 12 December he was advised of the robbery and went to examine the mill. He found droppings of flour outside and followed the traces of flour across 2 fields. At the gate between the 2 fields it was evident a sack of flour had been placed on the top rail. He found further traces of flour within a short distance of the prisoner Keens house, about a quarter of a mile from the mill. He went to Keens house and told him the reason he was there. Keens said he had flour in the back kitchen which Worsley was welcome to check. Mrs Keens had been baking that morning and there were 6 or 7 loaves which were newly baked. Mrs Keens said she had the flour from Mrs Coles, so he went to Mrs Coles’s house. Mrs Coles said she had not sold the flour to Keens but she could not say if her husband had. Worsley went to Roberts house and asked if he had been in the company of Keens on Saturday night. Roberts said he had been and had lent Keens 3 shillings. Keens was taken into custody and questioned by the superintendent of police. Asked how he came to possess the flour, Keens said he had bought 3 and a half pecks from Mr Coles and had paid 10s 6d for it. Keens said he had insufficient money and had borrowed 3 shillings from Roberts. Mr Coles denied selling the flour to Keens. Keens was locked up for the night and then brought before the magistrates. On 14 December Keens told him that Roberts had something to do with the mill and without Roberts he would not have know how to get in. Keens also revealed where the flour was concealed. A portion of it was under some rubbish where Roberts and he had been pulling down a cottage. The rest was in a stable under some straw. Worsely recovered the flour at the cottage but not at the stable. Keens, in response to a question, said Roberts had known where the candles were at the mill so they had light. PC William Hillyard: On 13 December, whilst in custody, Keens asked for Worsley as he had something to tell him. Hillyard told Keens that he could tell him what he would tell Worsley. Keens said if it had not been for Roberts he would not have gone to the mill. Keens said they had been drinking at the Dog and Roberts had paid. They left there with others about 12 o’clock. Going along, Roberts had said that he did not have more than 2 bakings of flour and was determined to have some. They agreed to go to the mill. They went separately to get bags and then met at the mill. Roberts got in the trap door over the round house and they divided the flour as best they could. Keens took part of his home and hid the rest in the rubbish at the cottage. Roberts took his flour home and mixed it with coarser flour which he had from Shefford mill and there was some other flour in Duckham’s barn under some straw. Hillyard went to Roberts’s house and found the larger sack of flour. Roberts was in bed in an upstairs room and the sack stood by the side of the bed. Roberts said it was not Beard’s flour and that he had some of the flour from Shefford mill. Statements of the accused: George Keens – nothing to say. Joseph Roberts – he had not said anything to Keens about the 2 bakings of flour. The flour found in his house was his own.

item

Keens, George,
Roberts, Joseph,
Beard, Joshua William,
Simms, Joseph,
Worsley, James,
Hillyard, William

Hawnes, CLOPHILL, stealing, flour, Haynes Greyhound, windmills, miller, victualler